1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to catamenial devices or tampons. More particularly, the present invention relates to catamenial devices or tampons adapted to signal the user. The present invention further relates to catamenial devices or tampons in which the string or other tampon removal device of the tampon signals the user upon exhaustion of the absorbent pledget and/or before commencement of by-pass leakage.
Presently, women have to remove the tampon to determine whether it has been used to capacity. Even if not completely used, the tampon usually is not reinserted. Generally, a woman removes a tampon before it has reached its capacity in order to prevent an accident. Namely, if the capacity is exceeded, the excess menses flows, unimpeded from the vagina, to soil the user""s clothing.
One criteria for determining when to remove a tampon is the elapsed time from insertion. However, the elapsed time criteria is not satisfactory for several reasons. First, the menstrual flow rate varies throughout the menstrual period. Thus, much of the absorbent capacity of a tampon is wasted due to the tendency to change the tampon to avoid accidental leakage. Secondly, flow variations throughout the menstrual period cause problems as to how long to wear a tampon since a woman cannot establish a definite time period in which the absorbent capacity of a tampon is sufficient. Third, occasionally menses leaks before the tampon nears its full potential absorbency. This is generally known as by-pass leakage. This leakage is usually not predictable by the user""s habitual wearing time. Therefore, a woman is in a quandary as to how long to wear the tampon during the varying menstrual flow days.
Larger and more absorbent tampons permit a woman to change tampons less often. However, larger tampons do not approach the goal of fully exhausting the absorbent capacity of the tampon and preventing accidents due to by-pass leakage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Attempts have been made to provide a signal to a user when a sensory indicator is contacted by a body fluid. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,649,914, 5,702,376, and 5,797,892 issued to Glaug et al., on Jul. 22, 1997, Dec. 30, 1997, and Aug. 25, 1998, respectively, describe a toilet training aid. The aid is in the form of a pad that creates a temperature change sensation, a wet sensation, a dimensional change sensation, or a combination thereof when contacted by urine. Another example of a toilet training aid pad with a temperature change sensation signal is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,298, to Brunner et al., that issued on Oct. 28, 1997.
There have been attempts to detect the presence of menstrual fluids. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,863, to Hammons et al., that issued on Jul. 15, 1997, describes a sanitary napkin. The napkin provides a signal by way of an indicator member that becomes noticeably stained when the storage capacity of the sanitary napkin is substantially exhausted. U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,125, to Salinas, that issued on Mar. 17, 1998, describes a sanitary napkin having a temperature-sensitive reactive chemical product that can respond by turning cold when it contacts and dissolves in a menstrual flow.
What is needed in the art is a tampon that provides the user with a signal when the tampon has reached its maximum absorbent capacity, or is about to leak even though the tampon is not at full capacity, as a result of by-pass leakage.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a tampon that has signal means.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a tampon in which the string has the signal means that alerts the user when the tampon""s absorbent capacity is exhausted.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a tampon having a removal string with a sensual, absorbent capacity signal associated therewith.
It is also another object of the invention to provide such a tampon with a string that alerts the user that by-pass leakage about to commence.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by a tampon that comprises an absorbent pledget and a removal string having a menstrual fluid indicator associated therewith. The absorbent pledget has a proximal end that is placed near the cervical bone and a distal end opposite the proximal end. The indicator is preferably formed on or in the removal string. In a more preferred embodiment, the indicator is formed over the entire length and circumference of the removal string. The indicator is designed to provide a sensory signal to the user when the capacity of the absorbent pledget of the tampon is exhausted or when by-pass leakage is about to commence.